Tunji Alausa, Minister of Education, is meeting with the leadership of the Trade Union Congress (TUC), Association of Senior Civil Servants of Nigeria (ASCSN) and other affiliated unions over the controversy trailing the concession of King’s College, Lagos.
A statement by Ikharo Attah, special adviser on media and
communications to Alausa, said the minister is meeting with the unions
alongside Suwaiba Said Ahmad, Minister of State for Education, and Folake
David, acting permanent secretary in the ministry.
The meeting follows the disruption of academic resumption
across all federal unity colleges by members of the workers’ unions on Monday.
In a communiqué dated September 10 and issued at the end of
its meeting on Thursday, ASCSN directed workers in federal unity colleges not
to resume academic activities until further notice over the concession of the
school to the King’s College Old Boys’ Association (KCOBA) under a
public-private partnership (PPP) arrangement.
ASCSN described the proposed concession as an “assault and
affront” on the unity of Nigeria, saying thousands of workers in the colleges
could lose their jobs under the proposed arrangement.
However, Alausa on Friday dismissed claims that the college
had been sold, insisting that the institution remains publicly owned.
The minister said under the concession agreement, KCOBA
would be responsible for financing, rehabilitating, modernising, operating and
maintaining the 117-year-old school.
Meanwhile, during the ongoing meeting, Alausa said while
workers’ welfare remains important, all stakeholders must also consider the
national interest and the future of the nation’s children.
David, the acting permanent secretary at the
federalministryofeducation, assured the unions that the government is committed
to a smooth transition and the protection of the interests of affected workers.
She noted that they remain civil servants and would have the
option of either remaining at King’s College under the new administrative
arrangement or moving to other schools within Lagos state, based on their
choice.
According to Attah, “a committee is being put in place to
facilitate the transition, ensure that stakeholders are carried along and
preserve the heritage and objectives of the college”.
Responding, Nuhu Toro, TUC general secretary, said the
unions were seeking clarification on the proposed changes at the King’s
College, particularly the use of the term “concessioning”.
He noted that the issue has generated concerns and led to an
instruction for workers in unity schools and King’s College to down tools, but
acknowledged that interventions at the highest level had brought the parties to
the negotiating table.
He affirmed that the unions are committed to resolving the
matter through dialogue, particularly in the interest of children of the poor
and less privileged.
Toro added that the ministry and the unions are on the same
page in their desire to reach a resolution quickly.
BACK STORY
In August, parents and students of the college staged a
protest against the concession, describing it as “barbaric”.
The aggrieved parents threatened to take legal action and
prevent the resumption of the next academic session, scheduled for Sunday.
In July, Kashim Ibrahim-Imam, president of KCOBA, announced
that the federal government had conceded the school to the association,
describing it as the dawn of a new era and the commencement of what he called
the “King’s College Renaissance”.
The old boys’ association reportedly launched a N100 billion
endowment fund to reposition the 116-year-old institution.
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